President John Dramani Mahama has assented to the Legal Education Reform Act, 2025, marking the end of the Ghana School of Law’s 66-year monopoly over professional legal training. The landmark legislation opens the door for accredited universities to run professional law programmes, a development widely welcomed by educators, students, and reform advocates who have long criticised the existing system as restrictive and inaccessible.
Since its establishment in 1958, the Ghana School of Law had been the sole institution authorised to conduct the professional course required for admission to the Ghana Bar. Over time, concerns mounted over limited intake capacity, leaving many qualified law graduates unable to secure admission each year. Critics argued that this arrangement created a bottleneck in the legal education system, denying aspiring lawyers the opportunity to advance despite meeting academic requirements.
Under the new law, universities that meet accreditation standards set by regulatory authorities will be permitted to offer professional legal education. The reform is expected to expand access, boost training capacity, and ease pressure on the Ghana School of Law.
The passage and signing of the bill mark one of the most significant reforms to Ghana’s legal education sector in decades, following years of public debate, student protests, and calls for broader access to professional legal training.
Source:
Bernard Ralph Adams
